Századok – 1937

Pótfüzet - HEGEDÜS LORÁNT: Lord Beaconsfield politikai ügynökének jelentései gróf Andrássy Gyula és Tisza Kálmán politikájáról a keleti válság idejében 576–616

[65] BE ACONSFIELD ÜGYNÖKÉNEK JELENTÉSEI. 87 language far more explicit than had been prescribed to him by Count Andrassy. The Opposition, however, do not believe in the sincerity of Count Andrassy and M. Tisza. They have been informed (through my Turkish Colleague) of the real nature of Count Zichy's original demands about Bosnia ; and they resent the mendacious language of the Government upon this head. Their information from Berlin assures them that Count Andrassy remains entirely subject to the influence of Prince Bismarck, and that he will never take any important decision in opposition to the views and advice of the German Chancellor. They know that the latter continues to urge upon the Austro-Hungarian Government the annexation of Bosnia ; and they believe that the Emperor Francis Joseph has set his heart upon the realisation of this project. They are conscious that it is almost impossible for them to prevent the ratification by the Diet of the terms of the compromise recently agreed to by the Austrian and Hungarian Ministers ; and they know that, as soon as that ratification is an accomplished fact, the Diet itself will be dissolved ; and the Country, muzzled by the new regulations against the right of holding public meetings, will be powerless to raise its voice in protest against any measures which the Government may choose to adopt. Under the influence of these apprehensions the leaders of the Opposition have asked me whether there is no hope that Her Majesty's Government will themselves bring pressure to bear upon Count Andrassy by removing to a certain extent the veil of secrecy which has hitherto been thrown over their negotiations with the Cabinet of Vienna ; and by demonstrating the falsehood of the insinuations so industriously circulated by the agents of the Austro-Hungarian Government, to the effect that Her Majesty's Government had repeatedly declined all Count Andrassy's overtures and proposals for common and united action. I need not tell Your Excellency that for some time past I have done my best to cast discredit on these assertions ; and that I have found it a very difficult task. I have not been at liberty to state the real nature of the transactions between the two Governments ; and it is only within the last few days that, to two or three of my most intimate friends, I have ventured confidentially to pronounce a qualified admission of the correctness of those who state that the truth is the exact converse of those explanations as to the action of Her Majesty's Government with which Count Andrassy beguiled the Delegations. I have said at the same time that, in view of the conditions under which the negotiations had been conducted, I did not see that it would be possible for Her Majesty's Government at present to give to the public any indication of the manner in which Count Andrassy had met all the advances made to him during the last twelve months. It is not perhaps surprising that, with the knowledge that Her Majesty's Government had every reason to be dissatisfied with Count Andrassy's conduct, the Opposition should have been under the greatest apprehension that the result of Count Schouvaloff's mission to St. Petersburgh would be the establishment of a separate agreement between England and Russia, in which Austro-Hungarian interests would be to a certain extent ignored ; and a state of things brought about fraught with danger to the whole Empire, and especially abhorrent to Hungary. I have the honour, etc.